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In the Military Gregg K. Kakesako |
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Isle Army National Guard
troops practice in JapanWith 25th Infantry Division being tapped to send 8,500 soldiers to Iraq and Afghanistan this year, members of the Hawaii Army National Guard filled in by deploying more soldiers to the annual bilateral command post exercise Yama Sakura in Japan, which ended Jan. 31.
The Army National Guard sent 72 members of the 29th Infantry Brigade, including its commander, Col. Joe Chaves, to Camp Asaka near Tokyo for the exercise that began in mid-January. During the command post exercise, which was attended by 1,500 soldiers from I Corps in Washington's Fort Lewis, computers were used to simulate battlefields. Chaves said the command post exercise is held annually to improve the two country's combat readiness and ensure their soldiers and their systems can operate together.
Besides the Hawaii Army Guard soldiers, seven airmen from 201st Combat Communications Group attended the exercise in Japan. An additional 82 soldiers from the Hawaii Army National Guard's 103rd Troop Command, the reserve's major support unit, were sent to Fort Lewis as part of the computer war games.
Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV, who served as assistant 25th Infantry Division commander for operations for a year beginning August 2000, was recently promoted to his current two-star rank. He has been senior military assistant to the deputy secretary of defense since July 2002.
Caldwell has served in several capacities with the 25th Division beginning in December 1992 as commander of the 4th Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment. From January 1995 until May 1995 when Caldwell joined the staff of the U.S. Army Pacific, he was politico-military officer for the U.S. Embassy in Haiti while still serving the 25th Division. After leaving Schofield Barracks in Aug. 20, 2001, Caldwell was deputy director of operations at the U.S. Pacific Command.
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"In the Military" was compiled from wire reports and other
sources by reporter Gregg K. Kakesako, who covers military affairs for
the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. He can be reached can be reached by phone
at 294-4075 or by e-mail at gkakesako@starbulletin.com.